Ironer with steaming attachment



Jan. 1, 1946. r

J. J. GETGEY- IRONER WITH STEAMING ATTACHMENT Filed April 22, 1943 Q I \lllv,

IN VENTOR.

Patented Jan. 1, 1946 IRONER WITH STEAMING ATTACHMENT John J. Getgey, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Empire Ironer, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio Application April 22, 1943, Serial No. 484,013

3 Claims.

This invention relates to power driven ironers and is particularly concerned with a construction in which steam is applied to the clothes being ironed continuously during the course 01' the ironing operation. The invention has general application to any type of power driven ironer which utilizes a rotatable feed roll and an ironing shoe. Because of the neatness and compactness of the structure of the invention due to the arrangement and configuration oi the parts, it may be said to have a particular application to ironers intended for home use. I

It has long been'recognized in all types of ironing that clothes can be ironed smoother, more evenly, and with less danger oi scorching ii they are slightly moistened at the time of the ironing contact. For this reason, it has always been conventional to moisten the clothes to be ironed in a batch prior to the commencement of the operation.

Where the moistening is done by hand or under any circumstances where it is a batch operation, it is impossible to impart to all portions 01' all 01' the clothes and equal degree of moistening. Some portions may become slightly saturated to a point where they remain wet after the article has been ironed, while others may lack moisture to a point where they will not iron evenly and may become has been the purpose of the inventor to provide an ironing shoe which is adapted to moisten clothes by the use of steam simultaneously as they are ironed and to distribute the steam evenly over the clothes in such a way that the most delicate fabrics may be ironed evenly and smoothly and without tear of scorching.

Another object has been to provide, as an element of an ironer, an ironing shoe in which the heating element, conventional in the ordinary electrically-operated ironer, is utilized to convert to steam water placed in a closed jacket, which jacket is an integral part of the shoe.

Another object has been to provide in an ironer shoe a steam jacket for quickly and evenly dispersing steam over the clothes being ironed without increasing to any marked degree the size or weight of the complete ironing unit.

.Another object has been to provide in an ironer an ironing shoe embodying a water jacket which is so constructed and positioned with respect to L the heating element in the shoe that water in the scorched during the operation. In addition, the I batch of clothes tends to become dried out during the course of ironing and, if there are interruptions to the work, this tendency may increase to a point where it is necessary either to remoisten thev batch or to iron the clothes while they are insufliciently moistened.

To remedy the difiiculties and inconveniences resulting from conditions such as those described,

it has been the concept of the present invention to moisten the clothes being ironed by means of the application of steam over the entire surface area of each article, and to apply the steam simultaneously with the ironing operation. In this way, the necessity for hand moistening is completely avoided and it is never necessary for the ironer operator, such as a housewife, tofdetermine the extent of moistening prior to the commencement of the ironing. Since the clothes may be inserted into the ironer in perfectly dry condition, through the utilization of the improvement of this invention it is entirely possible to iron a batch of clothes evenly and well regardless of interruption. Each article ironed will be moistened to operation.

Among the other objects of the invention, it

.the exact degree desired throughout the ironing jacket can be heated to the boiling point quickly and with a minimum of delay.

Another object has been the provision of convenient means for filling the jacket with water and for draining the remaining water after the ironing has been completed. These means are constructed and arranged to prevent the filling oi the jacket to a point beyond that at which steam can be safely produced.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the further and more detailed description oi'tthe invention when considered in conjunction with the drawing in-which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved ironer oi the invention. V

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the inner edge 01' the lip of the steam jacket particularly illustrating the disposition oi the outlets ior dispersing the steam over the clothes being ironed.

The details of construction of thaconventional parts 01' the ironer illustrated form {no part of the present invention. As illustrative of an ironer piication of the said Stilweli flied March 2, 1939, as Serial No. 259,396. 1 In the ensuing description, the conventional elements of the ironer will be identified and described only to the extent necessary to provide a clear understanding of the relationship between the novel elements of the present inventionv arm of the bracket. The steam Jacket of the invention is indicated generally at IS. The heating element which performs the dual function of heating the ironing surface of the'shoe and converting to steam water positioned in the jacket is positioned on the inner side of the jacket adjacent the feed roll and is designated as M. This heating element may be a conventional arrangement of resistance coils. A T-shaped bracket I5 is disposed against the outer surface of the steam jacket and holds the jacket and heating element releasably positioned against the roll. Leaf sprln gs l8 which servewas guides for the articles ironed are positioned between the bracket and the jacket. The bracket l5 and the springs l6 are held together by the studs 30 which, a illustrated in'Figure 2, pass completely through the steam Jacket. Nuts II are screwed to the outer ends of the studs. At its lower end the T-shaped bracket is secured on a rock shaft l8, which shaft is arranged horizontally on the base and supported by bearing brackets 19 in which the shaft is rotatably mounted. The operating lever 20 may be removably pinned to the rock shaft and hasa handle portion 2| atits outer end. The manipulation of the operating lever is effective to rock the shaft and to actuate the ironing shoe '21 into and out of contact with, the roll, as-

desired. 1

The current which energizes the heating element passes through the switch box 22 and from there through the wiring 23 and the jacket l3 to the heating element. The wiring 23 may be encased in a sleeve passing through the jacket similar in construction to the sleeve 3| which encloses the stud 30. The current enters the switch through the wiring 24 which may be connected to a suitable source of power. The switch may be utilized to control the drive" of the roll coincidentally with the movement of the heating element into engagement with the roll. The water intake opening may be positioned on the outer surface of the steam jacket and has been designated as 25. An outlet or discharge opening has been indicated as 26. The positioning of the inlet permits it to perform the function of an overflow valve and prevents water from being poured into the steam jacket to a higher level than that of the opening. In this way there is never a greater quantity of water in the jacket than can be quickly converted into steam. The outlet opening is utilized only when the ironing has been completed before the full supply of water has been utilized.

Certain other details of the structure are best illustrated in Figure 3. The arcuate ironing surface 21 ofthe shoe is positioned between the roll l2 on one side and the heating element I4 face of the heating element. Since no insulation is provided between the heating element ll 7 and the inner surface of the jacket, the heat from the element will be quickly conducted through the jacket to the water and, because of the fact that the water is closely confined in the crescent-shaped contours 'of the jacket, it will quickly turn to steam, rise, and pass outwardly through the apertures 29 on the lip of the jacket. As shown in Figure 3, these apertures are spaced evenly along the lip so that the steam will be distributed over the entire area of the clothes in ironing position on the roll. g

The stud3li passes through a sleeve 3! in the jacket and the heating element, and its inner end 32 is secured as :by welding to the outer surface of the shoe 21. 'Coiled springs 33 may be interposed between the extended arms of the T-shaped bracket I5 and the leaf springs Hi. This permits the jacket and heating element to be held against the roll under spring pressure but allows the shoe to be sprimg away from the roll when there are irregularities in the thickness of the material being ironed.

The roll may comprise an open cylindrical drum having a padded periphery of fibrous material 34, such as cotton or felt fibers, and a cloth cover 35.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the operation of the device is extremely simple. Prior to the ironing operation, the jacket is filled with water up to the height of the inlet opening. Thereafter the current is turned on and the heating element commences radiating heat in both directions. By the time the heating element 7 is sufiiciently hot to permit ironing,the water in the jacket will have commenced boiling and the steam will commence escaping from the apertures 29. In fact, the escape of steam may operate as a signal that the ironing surface 21 of the shoe is sufficiently heated to be ready for use. So long as water remains in the jacket, the steam will continue to escape at a regular rate and the jacket can be refilled from time I to time as desired. When steam ceases its escape from the apertures 29, the fact will be readily apparent to the operator. However, if desired, a thermostat may be utilized to register any undue heating of the ironing surface of the shoe due to the absence of water in the jacket.

As clothes are fed onto the roll, they are first subjected to a spray of steam from the apertures 29 before they are contacted by the ironing surface of the shoe. In this way, each part of each garment is thoroughly steamed prior to bein ironed. The heat from the ironing surface of the shoe is suflicient to evaporate substantially all of the finely divided moisture so that as the clothes pass out on the'spring leaves I6 they are substantially dry. The same result is obtained if successive ironings of one article are required.

Although a portable ironer has been illustrated as representative of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention may be used with various other types of ironers and is not necessarily limited to this particular ty a rotatable roll, an ironing element and meansfor' supporting the'roll and ironing element in cooperative relationship, a heating element positioned exterior of said ironing element and a water jacket positioned exterior of said heating aaoasso the roll, said heating element being recessed in the inner surface of the Jacket and shielded from element. said water jacket having an inner sur- .i'ace substantially coextensive with vthe outer surface of the ironing element biit having a lip extending outward and beyond the edge of said ironing element, the inner surface or said lip being closely adjacent the roll, said lip having" apertures on its inner surface for the escape of steam from the Jacket whereby articles passing over the roll will receive steam escaping from the apertures prior to engagement with the ironin: element. 7

2. In an ironing machine, a rotatable roll, an

ironing element and means for supporting the roll and ironing element in cooperative relationship, a heating element positioned exterior or the ironing element and a water jacket positioned exterior of the heating element, said water Jacket having an apertured lip overhanging the roll tor the application of steam to articles passing over;

the lip by the ironing element to prevent the steam from contacting the heating element.

3. An ironer eorriprising a rotatable roll and an ironing shoe supported adjacent said roll. said shoe being oi generally arcuate configuration, a

water Jacket disposed exteriorly oi the ironing shoe and being substantially coextensive thereheat generated by the element and thereby pre vent over-heating oi the shoe.

JQI-lfi J. an'rdnr. 

